This Way Out
The Jakarta Post - WEEKENDER | Sun, 10/26/2008 5:08 PM |
WEATHER WITH YOU
Monsoon season may not be such a wash out on your beach holiday plans anymore it seems. Not when resorts are making it worth your while when it rains. As part of its ‘Good Weather Pledge’ programme that runs from September 19th to December 19th, the Naladhu Maldives (www.naladhu.com) will gift guests with US$600 credit per day if it rains for three consecutive hours between sunrise and sunset. Meanwhile, the Indigo Pearl Phuket (www.indigo-pearl.com) might just have you doing the rain dance during your visit. For every day that it rains for three consecutive hours, the resort, as part of its ‘Rain Promotion’, will offer guests one free night’s stay including breakfast for two.
BURNING QUESTION
Most definitely. The AIG Travel Guard is the largest provider of travel insurance policies in America and its products are also one of the most popular worldwide. After the announcement of AIG’s financial woes in September, the U.S. Treasury has responded with a rescue plan of a US$85 billion bridge loan to the insurer.
AIG also issued a statement soon after, assuring policy holders that “AIG’s life insurance, general insurance and retirement services businesses, including its extensive Asian operations, continue to operate normally and remain adequately capitalized and fully capable of meeting their obligations to policyholders.”
The bottom line: AIG is in a bout of financial trouble and will continue to pursue solutions to increase its short term liquidity. But travelers who purchase AIG policies needn’t fret; these continue to be valid given AIG’s related subsidiaries that write insurance policies are well capitalized and meet or exceed local regulatory requirements.
HOME SUITE HOME
Changes are afoot at the Conrad Bali. The resort launched 55 new Conrad Suites in October as well five new Spa Pavilions set within picturesque landscaped gardens and reflective pools.
The new suites, which are no less than 110 sq meters, feature separate dining and living rooms, a private terrace with dining area and day bed, as well as excess to an exclusive Conrad Suites Lounge, private Beach Club and pool.
Better yet, a stay at the luxurious suites also includes the services of a Personal Assistant who will ensure all your whims and fancies are met, whether you’re seeking out a scenic picnic spot, planning a romantic helicopter ride above pretty rice terraces or hankering for the best babi guling around.
Topping off all the exciting new additions, is a spanking new personalized holiday website that allows you to make yourself feel at home, even before you check in. Guests get to pre select their favorite music, aroma and welcome drink, to truly create a stay that’s tailored to their personal tastes.
TRIP OR TREAT
The results of TripAdvisor’s annual hotel survey were released last month, revealing more telling travelers’ traits and likes and dislikes. More than 2,200 travelers worldwide offered up their two cents worth about the good, the bad and the ugly when it came to their hotel stays.
• It’s all about location, location, location when it comes to what makes a hotel great, according to 30% of respondents. About 29 percent cited comfortable beds, while 24 percent said it boiled down to the hotel’s staff and service.
•The biggest bane on a hotel stay? 54 percent agreed it’d be unclean rooms, 14 percent said noisy hotel guests and 11 percent pointed to poor hotel staff/service.
• Describing their holiday horrors, 68 percent of travelers said they’d experienced a dirty carpet at a hotel, 64% have dealt with non-working appliances, and 59% have waited as their room was not ready at check-in.
• Forget about lurking strangers in corridors and scary ghouls, 80 percent of travelers feared bed bugs when visiting a hotel.
•Are hotels as fancy and great as they make themselves out to be? 78 percent said hotels are often “as advertised”, while 17 percent said they are rarely as advertised.
+ Chan Hse May
Monsoon season may not be such a wash out on your beach holiday plans anymore it seems. Not when resorts are making it worth your while when it rains. As part of its ‘Good Weather Pledge’ programme that runs from September 19th to December 19th, the Naladhu Maldives (www.naladhu.com) will gift guests with US$600 credit per day if it rains for three consecutive hours between sunrise and sunset. Meanwhile, the Indigo Pearl Phuket (www.indigo-pearl.com) might just have you doing the rain dance during your visit. For every day that it rains for three consecutive hours, the resort, as part of its ‘Rain Promotion’, will offer guests one free night’s stay including breakfast for two.
BURNING QUESTION
Most definitely. The AIG Travel Guard is the largest provider of travel insurance policies in America and its products are also one of the most popular worldwide. After the announcement of AIG’s financial woes in September, the U.S. Treasury has responded with a rescue plan of a US$85 billion bridge loan to the insurer.
AIG also issued a statement soon after, assuring policy holders that “AIG’s life insurance, general insurance and retirement services businesses, including its extensive Asian operations, continue to operate normally and remain adequately capitalized and fully capable of meeting their obligations to policyholders.”
The bottom line: AIG is in a bout of financial trouble and will continue to pursue solutions to increase its short term liquidity. But travelers who purchase AIG policies needn’t fret; these continue to be valid given AIG’s related subsidiaries that write insurance policies are well capitalized and meet or exceed local regulatory requirements.
HOME SUITE HOME
Changes are afoot at the Conrad Bali. The resort launched 55 new Conrad Suites in October as well five new Spa Pavilions set within picturesque landscaped gardens and reflective pools.
The new suites, which are no less than 110 sq meters, feature separate dining and living rooms, a private terrace with dining area and day bed, as well as excess to an exclusive Conrad Suites Lounge, private Beach Club and pool.
Better yet, a stay at the luxurious suites also includes the services of a Personal Assistant who will ensure all your whims and fancies are met, whether you’re seeking out a scenic picnic spot, planning a romantic helicopter ride above pretty rice terraces or hankering for the best babi guling around.
Topping off all the exciting new additions, is a spanking new personalized holiday website that allows you to make yourself feel at home, even before you check in. Guests get to pre select their favorite music, aroma and welcome drink, to truly create a stay that’s tailored to their personal tastes.
TRIP OR TREAT
The results of TripAdvisor’s annual hotel survey were released last month, revealing more telling travelers’ traits and likes and dislikes. More than 2,200 travelers worldwide offered up their two cents worth about the good, the bad and the ugly when it came to their hotel stays.
• It’s all about location, location, location when it comes to what makes a hotel great, according to 30% of respondents. About 29 percent cited comfortable beds, while 24 percent said it boiled down to the hotel’s staff and service.
•The biggest bane on a hotel stay? 54 percent agreed it’d be unclean rooms, 14 percent said noisy hotel guests and 11 percent pointed to poor hotel staff/service.
• Describing their holiday horrors, 68 percent of travelers said they’d experienced a dirty carpet at a hotel, 64% have dealt with non-working appliances, and 59% have waited as their room was not ready at check-in.
• Forget about lurking strangers in corridors and scary ghouls, 80 percent of travelers feared bed bugs when visiting a hotel.
•Are hotels as fancy and great as they make themselves out to be? 78 percent said hotels are often “as advertised”, while 17 percent said they are rarely as advertised.
+ Chan Hse May
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